In Good Company: Robert Burnier

An ongoing series of short interviews with artists that we work with or admire called “In Good Company.” Answers are lightly edited for length and clarity.

Location: Chicago, IL

Hometown: Milwaukee, WI

Degrees: MFA, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago

Favorite Color: Ochre

Hobbies: Politics

As a child, did you know you wanted to be an artist? If not, what did you want to be? 

I always knew I wanted to make things and that’s all I ever actually did, even when I wasn’t making art specifically. I mainly built my own video games as a youth. I was also always the one in my family who could draw.

Have you had any jobs outside of the art world? If so, how have those jobs informed your work as an artist?

I was a software developer for some years and have held a number of manufacturing, sales, and managerial positions over time. But I’ve been an artist longer than any of that now. I’d say that there is no harm in an artist doing different things. I feel like it confers perspective.

What is your favorite non-art object in your studio right now? Why do you have it?

The work tables I built for myself in grad school are everything. I’ll probably never get rid of them. They mean so much to me now.

What has been a defining moment of your artistic career so far?

One of my favorite moments was a show I did at Andrew Rafacz entitled So That Justice Should Be Tyrant a few years back. I’m glad to say I expect some things brewing on the horizon might be new defining moments.

How do you measure your own success in the art world?

Having the respect of people I respect, having great friends and allies, remaining interested and engaged in problems, and the ability to keep making art is how I measure success. Anything else is just another job or looking for validation external to art.

If you were placing artwork in an office, what three artists would you be most excited to work with?

Caroline Kent, Jennie C. Jones, Torkwase Dyson. I’ve had a chance to work with Kent at Mana Contemporary and exhibited with Dawson at Drew University two years ago. Jones currently has a show up at The Arts Club and we were supposed to have a chance to meet, but Coronavirus took that off the table. I’d value crossing paths with each of these artists in the future in whatever capacity.

To see more of Robert Burnier’s work, check out his website or Instagram.

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